


A Meeting of Two Bats

by GriffinHeart



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Dreaming of Sunshine - Silver Queen
Genre: (eventually) - Freeform, Found Family, Gen, POV Outsider, Reincarnation, gen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22104817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GriffinHeart/pseuds/GriffinHeart
Summary: Jason Todd, the Red Hood, is defended by a young girl while patrolling. He’s curious and interested in her well being.He’s certainly not going to turn into Bruce and adopt her.He’s not.
Relationships: Nara Shikako (DoS) & Jason Todd (DCU)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 697
Collections: Dreaming of Sunshine Exchange 2019 B, Heliocentrism — a Dreaming of Sunshine recursive collection





	A Meeting of Two Bats

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KuroHikaTsuchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuroHikaTsuchi/gifts).



Jason didn’t know why he ended up here. He was supposed to be the scary, unapproachable vigilante in Gotham.

“Kid?” He yelled out into the darkened alleyway, shaking the bag of fast food he held in his left hand.

Kids liked french fries, right? God, was this how Bruce felt all the time?

The sound of rustling and quiet footsteps drew him out of his thoughts. The girl approached, most of her body covered by a large, tattered, black pullover. He guessed she was around seven or eight, but throughout their handful of meetings she hadn’t once spoken to confirm or deny the assumption. She stepped towards him, reaching out to the food and snatching it out of his hand faster than he could blink. This had become a regular occurrence.

He first saw her three weeks ago, while patrolling Crime Alley. He was on the hunt for dealers of a new, unstable hallucinogen that was spreading like wildfire through blocks of Gotham. His investigation led him to an alleyway about three blocks too close to Black Mask’s headquarters for comfort.

The longer you live in Gotham the more your sense of when you’re about to get jumped improves. He turned and blocked the first strike with a sharp swing of his elbow. Unfortunately, he failed to anticipate the second and the third, and the thugs pushed Jason to the ground. He bit back a curse as his back collided with the cracked concrete ground, his head narrowly avoiding a dumpster. He didn’t need another concussion in his life.

Jason started to rise, kicking his leg out at the three approaching assailants, when something flew over his head. It hit the first and closest man’s brow with a thump.

“What the fuck?” Jason turned his head as two more stones sailed over him.

A girl, ducked behind the dumpster, was lobbing rocks at the thugs. All Jason could see was the end of a blond braid and an outstretched arm clothed by a black hoodie. Jason scrambled up and grabbed the men who started to rush towards the girl, throwing them to the ground.

“Run!” He yelled, kicking the downed thugs. The girl stepped out from behind the dumpster and ran further back into the alley.

It was quick work to tie up and interrogate the men about who sent them. They were dealers, and it only took a little bit of pressure to get them to reveal their supplier. Jason was glad that Nightwing wasn’t around. He couldn’t stand his judgmental staring and his sighing about Jason’s methods. He couldn’t afford to be soft on crime. With a quick anonymous call to Gotham PD he stood and made his way down the alley, determined to thank his unexpected helper.

He was a bit fond of street rats. Not because he used to be one. Certainly not. He had a reputation to maintain.

Jason found the girl sitting at the bottom of a lowered fire escape, absently picking holes into the thready remnants of her sweatshirt sleeve.

“Thanks, kid.” He said, leaning against the wall in front of her.

She shrugged.

Jason floundered a bit. “So, what were you doing in the alley?”

She stared at him, unimpressed, and pointed to the opposite side of the alley where a small pile of blankets and trinkets lay.

“Ah.” Jason stuck his hands in his pockets. “You live here.”

She didn’t respond, only staring at the vigilante with an uncaring expression.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” He asked.

“Nope.” She whispered, before lying back and staring at the darkened sky.

“Uh,” Jason looked up at the sky and back at the girl. “Can I get you anything?”

She tilted her head back towards him, before pointing at his right holster.

He looked down at his holstered knife. It was a light and thin blade, one useful for both throwing and close combat. “Really, kid? I can’t give you my knife.”

She crossed her arms.

Jason sighed and decided that he’s already made enough poor decisions in his life, one more wouldn’t hurt. He handed the girl his knife.

She grabbed it out of his hands, the fastest he’d seen her move during their entire conversation. She held the knife with reverence, moving it between her fingers with ease and certainty.

Jason rocked back and forth on his heels. The girl was ignoring him, devoting all her attention towards her new weapon. It was awkward.

“Okay,” Jason clapped and stood away from the wall. “Stay safe out there kid.”

She looked up and gave him a mock salute.

Jason chuckled and walked back to the street and towards his apartment. It wasn’t until he got back and was comfortable in his bed that he realized that didn’t even ask her name.

His eyes widened. He gave a child a knife. A homeless child. He didn’t even buy her food. He covered his face with his hands, and made a mental note to bring some food with him next time he passed her hideout. He also needed to learn her name.

It was his job, keeping Gotham safe. That included the children. He wasn’t turning into Bruce. He wasn’t going to adopt her.

He wasn’t.

Damnit.

He had left her some fast food a few times now, leaving bags of food near her stuff when he was patrolling. She rarely was present when he dropped off the bag, but the food was always gone when he checked back later in the night, so he kept leaving it.

This night was different, she was actually sitting by her stuff, and took the food from him. A makeshift cardboard sheath attached Jason’s knife to her waist. It was impressive craftsmanship.

She dug into her burger, eating too fast to be comfortable.

Jason took a deep breath, removing his red helmet, but keeping the mask over his eyes on. “Doyouwantsomewheretostay?”

She looked up from her food. “What?”

He took another breath. “Do you want somewhere to stay?”

She backed away from him, a hand on her knife.

“No,” he said, waving his arms, “it’s not like that!”

Her stance relaxed, but her face remained stony.

Jason sighed. “Look, I have an apartment with an extra room, and I’m not using it. You’d be able to lock the door, and you’d have the only key.”

“Why?” She asked, standing, “What do you want?”

“Nothing. It’s cold out here. I’m sure you know that.” He adjusted his mask. “Also, you did help me out a bit back there, and I know it’s safer inside than out.”

She frowned and crossed her arms.

Jason remembered being this difficult for Bruce. After stealing Bruce’s tires and going to the mansion, he lashed out at everything and everyone for a month. The only reason he didn’t leave instantly was Alfred’s fantastic cooking. Jason grimaced. “There’s more food at my place?” He shrugged.

“You don’t even know my name.”

Jason didn’t know a child could sound so unimpressed. Damian would like her. “What’s your name, then? Mine’s Jason.” He didn’t remember the last time he used his real name in the field.

He arms uncrossed. “My name is—” she paused, and looked up at the sky. Faint clouds were visible. “My name is Shikako.”

He stuck out his hand, and she shook it.

“I’ll go with you,” she said, “but I want more knives.”

Jason grinned. “We can work something out.”

**Author's Note:**

> I tried! Ideally I will get more inspiration soon and add a chapter or so. I have many ideas. I had a lovely fantastic perfect beta who's name I shall share when authors are revealed.


End file.
